


You've Got Mail

by badwolfkaily



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - You've Got Mail Fusion, F/F, You've Got Mail AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-20
Updated: 2018-07-30
Packaged: 2018-09-25 19:07:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9839999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/badwolfkaily/pseuds/badwolfkaily
Summary: Someone you pass on the street may already be the love of your life.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Based off the 1998 movie, You've Got Mail, which is based off the 1940 movie, The Shop Around The Corner.

 

* * *

 

 

It’s a clear and sunny morning in New York, the leaves on trees have turned red and orange and there’s a brisk cold sting in the air. Kara Danvers wakes to the sound of her boyfriend James Olsen walking into the bedroom reading the newspaper to her.

 

“Amazing! This is amazing! Listen to this: The entire workforce of Virginia...had Solitaire removed from their computers...because they hadn’t done any work in six weeks.”

 

Kara sits up dazed and just looks up at him, “That’s so sad.”

 

“Do you know what this is?”

 

Kara wipes the sleep from her eyes and shakes her head as she tries to wake herself up.

 

“What we’re seeing here is the end of Western civilization as we know it.”

 

James leans in and kisses her on the cheek as he flips the newspaper over, she just smiles and nods, “Oh, hey aren’t you late?”

 

Kara stretches and heads to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

 

As if he doesn’t hear her he babbles on, “Technology. Name me one thing that we’ve gained from technology.”

 

“Electricity.”

 

‘’That’s one. You think this machine’s your friend, but it’s not,” James throws the newspaper on the bed and swings his jacket on, “I’m out of here,” he grabs his briefcase and heads for the door.

 

Kara shouts from the bathroom, “See you tonight!”

 

Kara listens and waits to hear the front door close and scampers over to the front door to peek out the window to make sure James is gone before she runs to her laptop to log online. She’s been chatting to someone online for awhile lately, a woman she’s never met but they talk about just everything. Giddy with excitement Kara finds an email from NY152 with it labeled “Ally” and she eagerly opens the email.

 

She reads:

 

_Ally is my dog. She loves the streets of New York as much as I do. Although she likes to eat pizza and bagel off the sidewalk...and I prefer to buy them. Ally is a great catcher who was offered a tryout on the Mets. But she chose to stay with me so she could spend 18 hours a day sleeping on a large green pillow the size of an inner tube. Don’t you love New York in the fall? Makes me want to buy school supplies. I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address. On the other hand, this not knowing has its charms._

 

Kara smiles to herself and writes back.

 

* * *

 

 

Meanwhile across down, Cat Grant is busy pouring herself a glass of orange juice while her high maintenance girlfriend rushes to get out the door and to work. Ally trots over to her bed with a happy dog smile on her face and lays down. Cat tries to read the newspaper as her girlfriend yells to her from the bedroom, “I’m almost ready! Can you press the button on the expresso machine!?”

 

Cat sighs and goes to press the button on the machine and then back to her newspaper and juice.

 

“Did you push it!?”

 

“Yeah. Yes, I pushed it!”

 

Her girlfriend runs into the kitchen, “I’m so late,” slamming her own newspaper down on the table next to Cat’s cup of juice making Cat jump while she goes to pour herself a cup of expresso.

 

“Random House fired Dick Atkins. Good riddance. Murray Chilton died. That’s one less person I’m not speaking to. Vince got a great review. He’ll be insufferable. Tonight, PEN dinner.”

 

Cat looks at her worried, “Am I going?”

 

“Cat Grant, you promised,” she downs her expresso in one gulp.

 

Cat sighs, “It’s black-tie. Can’t I just give money instead? What is it this week? Free Albanian writers? I’m in favor of that.”

 

Cat’s girlfriend slides into her lap and hugs her until she relents, “Okay, I’ll go. I’ll go. You’re late.”

 

She quickly stands, “I know, I know,” and then runs out the door.

 

Cat stands and peeks down the hall to the front door and waits to see if she comes back. When she realizes the coast is clear she heads to her home office and straight to her laptop. Ally rushing in to lay at her feet, Cat gives her a pat on the head while she waits. She logs on and sees that she’s got mail. She clicks on the email from “Shopgirl” and proceeds to read it.

 

_Dear friend: I like to start my notes to you as if we’re already in the middle of a conversation. I pretend that we’re the oldest and dearest friends, as opposed to what we actually are, people who don’t know each other’s names, and met in a chatroom where we both claimed we’d never been before. “What will NY152 say today?” I wonder. I turn on my computer, I wait impatiently as it boots up. I go online, and my breath catches in my chest until I hear three little words: You’ve got mail. I hear nothing, not even a sound on the streets of New York, just the beat of my own heart. I have mail. From you._

 

Cat smiles and waits to respond and instead logs off and leaves for work herself and as she walks to work, briefcase in hand, she doesn’t even realize that her and Kara (Shopgirl) have passed each other many times every morning and very soon that’s about to change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The emails continue.

_ “We are all fools in love.” -Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice _

  
  


Cat is checking out the renovations and building on a new project with work as she walks through with her friend and coworker, Lois Lane at her side. 

 

“The electrical contractor called, he had an accident with his car so he’s not going to be here till tomorrow. And the shelves for upstairs are late because the pine we ordered has beetles. And we got a $50,000 ticket for construction workers peeing off the roof.”

 

Meanwhile, Cat is just looking around not really listening to Lois, “Great, great, this is all great. Do you know when the electrician will be here?”

 

“I just told you he had an accident. I knew you weren’t listening to me.”

 

“You’re right I wasn’t. I hear nothing. ‘Not a sound on the city streets, just the beat of my own heart.’ I think that’s how it goes. Something like that.”

 

“You and Alice got engaged, didn’t you? You can tell me.”

 

“Engaged?”

 

“Come on.”

 

Cat looks at her with disbelief, “Are you crazy?”

 

“I thought you liked her.”

 

“I do. I do. I love her. I love Alice. She’s amazing she makes coffee nervous,” changing the subject quickly, “We should announce ourselves to the neighborhood, let them know, here we come.”

 

Lois walks alongside Cat, “This is the Upper West Side. We might as well tell them we’re opening a crack house. They’re going to hate us. They’re gonna be lining up…,” Cat joins in with her, “To picket the big, bad chain store…”

 

Nodding Lois continues, “That’s out to destroy everything they hold dear.”

 

Cat’s confidant that won’t last long, “We’re going to seduce them with our square footage...and our discounts and our deep armchairs and our cappuccino. They’re going to hate us at the beginning, but we’ll get them in the end. And you know why? Because we’re going to sell them cheap books and legal addictive stimulants. In the meantime, we’ll just put up a big sign: ‘Coming Soon, a Grant Books Superstore. The end of civilization as you know it.”

 

Lois just laughs and follows after Cat as they finish up their tour of the construction.

 

Meanwhile across town Kara has just made it to her work, a pumpkin held under her arm, “Good morning, Siobhan!”

 

A brunette sits on a green bench in front of the bookstore they both work at waiting for Kara to open shop, “Morning, Kara!”

 

Kara hands the pumpkin over with a cheery bounce in her step, “It’s a beautiful day. Isn’t it just the most beautiful day?”

 

“I guess. Yeah, sure.”

 

Tires screeching and horns honking and men arguing with each other is heard behind them.

 

“Don’t you just love New York in the fall?”

 

Siobhan looks from the arguing men to the oblivious Kara who pushes the store front’s cage up and unlocks the door. Grabbing a vase of flowers from the register area Kara smells them with a smile, “Perfect!”

 

Siobhan trails behind her, pumpkin still in hand and a look of disbelief at how cheery Kara is this morning. Kara sets her vase down and picks up a package of new scotch tape and smells it, “Ah, the smell of scotch tape.”

 

“Stop that! What is going on with you? You’re in love!”

 

“In love? No. Oh, yes, that’s right! I’m in love with James. I’m practically living with James. Hmm. Do you think you could get our Christmas mailers out this week?”

 

Siobhan sets the pumpkin on the counter and takes her coat off along with Kara, “Yeah, by Monday, I promise. I have this paper due Friday,” but it doesn’t seem like Kara’s listening anymore, “What is going on?”

 

“Nothing, nothing. Nothing at all.”

 

“You know, I am just going to stand here until you tell me.”

 

“Alright. Is it infidelity if you’re involved with someone on email?

 

“Have you had sex?”

 

“No, I don’t even know her.”

 

“Oh, a her, hmm Kara. I didn’t know you had it in you,” Kara glares at her, “I mean cybersex.”

 

“No.”

 

“Well, don’t do it. The minute you do, they lose all respect for you.”

 

Kara glares after Siobhan as she runs around setting up the store, “Well, it’s not like that. We just email. It’s really nothing. On top of which, I’m thinking of stopping because it’s getting…”

 

“Out of hand?”

 

“Confusing….but not because it’s nothing.”

 

“Where’d you meet her?”

 

“Listen, I can’t even remember.”

 

Siobhan highly doubts that as she walks back over the counter where Kara is pouring some candies into a jar.

 

“On my birthday I wandered into the “over 30” room for a joke, sort of. And she was there. And we started chatting.”

 

“About what?”

 

“Books and music, how much we both love New York...harmless, harmless. Meaningless. Bouquets of sharpened pencils. Oh.”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

Kara laughs and waves her off, “Forget it. We don’t talk about anything personal, so I don’t know her name...or what she does or where she lives exactly, so it’ll be easy for me to stop seeing her, because I’m not.”

 

“She could be the next person to walk into the store.”

 

“I know!”

 

“She could secretly be….” in walks their other co-worker, “Winn.”

 

And they both stare at him as she walks in with a coffee in hand and an unenthusiastic look on his face, “Morning.”

 

Siobhan smirks at him, “Are you online?”

 

“As far as I’m concerned...the internet is just another way of being rejected by a woman,” and off he goes.

 

They smile and turn back to each other only to be interrupted by another of their coworkers, “Good morning, Eve!”

 

Eve walks over to them a smile on her face, “What are you girls talking about?”

 

Siobhan nonchalantly says, “Cybersex.”

 

Eve nods, “I tried to have cybersex once, but I kept getting a busy signal,” then walks off towards the back of the store.

 

Siobhan is still going, “I know, I was really depressed one Saturday night about 9:00--”

 

Eve yell’s, “Time to open up!”

 

Kara shakes her head and goes to flip the closed sign to open, opening the door for their first few customers, smiling at them as they waltz right in.

 

Back across town Cat is in a meeting with her mom and an old family friend they work with, “Construction’s going well. We should open on time. Although Lois and I are concerned about the neighborhood response.”

 

“Your mother’s getting married again.”

 

Cat sits on the couch in the office, “Really? Congratulations.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Who knows.”

 

Cat throws out there, “Love?”

 

Her mother responds, “Possible.”

 

And their family friend responds, “I think you’re a damn fool.”

 

“Well, in other news, mother. Another independent bookstore closed today. We’ll also have a section dedicated to writers who’ve lived on the West Side.”

“As a sop to the neighborhood.”

 

Cat’s mother butts in, “Perfect. Keep those West Side, liberal nuts, pseudo-intellectual---”

 

“Readers, mother. They’re called readers.”

 

“Don’t do that, Cat. Don’t romanticise them. It’ll keep them from jumping down your throat.”

 

Family friend, Bob butts in again, “What competition is left?”

 

“One mystery store, Sleuth, at 78th and Amsterdam...and a children’s bookstore, Shop Around the Corner. It’s been there forever.”

 

“Alura’s store.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Alura Danvers. Lovely woman. I think we might have had a date once. Or maybe we just exchanged letters.”

 

“You wrote her letters?”

 

“Mail. It was called mail. Stamps, envelopes---”

 

Cat waves her and and nods, “I’ve heard of it.”

 

“Alura had beautiful penmanship. She was too young for me but she was enchanting.”

 

“Enchanting?”

 

“Her daughter owns it now.”

 

Cat’s mother chimes in, “Too bad for her now.”

 

A knock on the office door draws their attention and business resumes. Later that night and the next fews days Cat and Kara exchange even more emails.

  
  


NY152:  _ My mother is getting married again. For five years, she’s been living with a man named Jack...who studied decorating at Caesar’s Palace. _

  
  


Shopgirl:  _ Once I read a story about a butterfly in the subway, and today...I saw one. It got on at 42nd and off at 59th where...I assume it went to Bloomingdale’s to buy a hat that will turn out to be a mistake. As almost all hats are. _

 

NY152:  _ Listen to this: Every night a truck pulls up to my neighborhood bagel place and pumps about a ton of flour into underground tanks. The air is filled with white dust which never seems to land. Why is that? _

 

Shopgirl:  _ Confession: I’ve read Pride and Prejudice about 200 times. I get lost in the language. Words like: Thither. Mischance. Felicity. I’m always in agony over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are really going to get together. Read it. I know you’ll love it. _

 

NY152:  _ The purpose of places like Starbucks is for people with no decision-making ability whatsoever to make six decisions just to buy one cup of coffee. Short, tall, light, dark, caf, decaf, low-fat, nonfat, etc. So people who don’t know what the hell they’re doing or who on earth they are can, for only 2.95 get not just a cup of coffee but an absolutely defining sense of self. Tall! Decaf! Cappuccino! _

 

One morning Winn is passing by a giant building on his way to work when he notices the signage for the building across the street and immediately rushes to work to tell Kara and Siobhan. Standing the street corner they look on, “A Grant Books superstore.”

 

Siobhan glares,”  _ Quel _ nightmare.”

 

Kara sighs at the sight of the building, “It has nothing to do with us. It’s big, impersonal, overstocked and full of ignorant salespeople.”

 

Winn responds, “But they discount.”

 

“But they don’t provide any service. We do. This’ll be like the book district, if they don’t have it we do or vice versa.”

 

Siobhan and Winn look at her like she’s completely lost her mind. But honestly Kara’s mind is too busy thinking about if Cat has emailed her back yet today. She can’t wait to get home tonight and read another email.

  
  
  
  



	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shopgirl and NY152 meet but don't realize it.

When Kara got home that night she began putting away some groceries as she listens to James talk from the dining room.

 

“When you are finished with Grant Books...The Shop Around the Corner is gonna be responsible for reversing the entire course of the Industrial Revolution!”

 

Kara just stares at him, “Well, now, that is so sweet, James,” she walks over and gives him hug and then is back to the kitchen to put groceries away.

 

“What were you going to say?”

 

Kara turns her head to the side confused, “When?”

 

“Before.”

 

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

 

“Come on, Kara.”

 

“Well, I’m just wondering. I’m wondering about my work. I’m just--What is it that I do, exactly? All I really do is--”

 

“All you really do is this incredible noble thing.”

 

“Well, I don’t know. Really, I’m just---”

 

“Kara!”

 

She just pouts and walks off.

 

_ Sometimes I wonder about my life. I lead a small life. Well, valuable, but small. And sometimes I wonder do I do it because I like it or because I haven’t been brave? So much of what I see reminds me of something I read in a book...when shouldn’t it be the other way around? I don’t want an answer. I just want to send this cosmic question out into the void. So...good night, dear void. -Shopgirl _

 

The next morning Cat finds herself on her mother’s boat docked in the harbor as she cleans and manages it, just for fun. In the distance running up the dock to her boat is her mother’s and grandmother’s other kids that are actually very much younger than her. They laugh and yell excitedly to her, “Hey, Cat!!! Cat!!!”

 

Cat smiles and drops what she’s doing to greet them, “Hey, I know you! Hello, Annabel, little girl. How are you?” she leans in and hugs her and then hugs her little brother, “And you, Matthew, how are you?”

 

“Good.”

 

Their father follows close behind, “Hello Cat, kiss me I’m gonna be your wicked stepfather.”

 

She looks at him in disgust and hesitates before she rolls her eyes and tries to kiss him on the cheek as he tries to kiss her on the lips but misses, “There you go. Well, I’ve got them from here, off you go.”

 

He smiles and walks off as the kids wave goodbye, “Alright, you guys, are you ready to go out on the boat?”

 

The kids both yell, “No!”

 

“Well, we’re going anyway!”

 

They spend a few hours out on the boat and then Cat takes them to an amusement park where they get their faces painted and they toss rings around milk bottles and eat all the food they can eat. Finally done with the amusement park Cat asks if they want to go to the movies, “Would you guys like to go to the movies?”

 

Annabel shakes her head, “No, there’s nothing good playing. Look! A storybook lady.”

 

She smiles and runs to the bookstore, Shop Around the Corner where it’s story time and Kara is reading a book to a group of little kids, “That it was I and I alone who had the idea for the great and daring mouse plot. We all have our moments of brilliance and glory and this was mine….”

 

Later after Kara has finished reading to all the little kids she helps Annabel try and find a book, “My mom gets me all the books I want.”

 

“Well, that’s very nice of her,” Kara smiles as Cat walks over to them.

 

“That’s not my mom. That’s my niece.”

 

Kara looks on slightly confused, “I don’t really think that she could be your niece.”

 

Cat interrupts, “No, no, no. It’s true. Annabel is my aunt. Isn’t that right, Aunt Annabel?”

 

“Uh-huh. And Matt is her--”

 

“Wait, let me guess. Are you her uncle?”

 

“No.”

 

“Her grandfather?”

 

Matthew just giggles.

 

“Her great-grandfather?”

 

“I’m her brother!”

 

“Matt is my mother’s son. Annabel is my grandmother’s daughter. We are an American family.”

 

Cat just smiles at Kara who smiles back until they are interrupted by Annabel sneezing, Kara smiles and hands her a handkerchief, “Here you go, young lady.”

 

“What’s that?”

 

“That’s a handkerchief. Do children even know what handkerchiefs are? A handkerchief is a Kleenex that you don’t throw away. See? My mother embroidered this for me. My initials and a daisy, because daisies are my favorite flower.”

 

Cat looks at her with amazement, “May I ask who you are?”

 

“Kara Danvers. I own this store. And you are?”

 

“Cat. Just call me Cat. We’ll take these books.”

 

Winn walks up to the counter, “You’ll come back won’t you?”

 

Cat nods, “Yes.”

 

Winn nods at Kara, “See that is why we won’t go under, our customers are loyal.”

 

Kara smiles, “They’re opening a Grant Books around the corner.”

 

Annabel begins to excitedly yell, “Grant Books! My mommy--”

 

Cat interrupts, “Likes to buy discount,” and covers Annabel’s mouth with her hand.

 

Cat manages to distract Annabel and Matt with a dinosaur book so she can speak with Kara privately, “Sit here and read Matt the book until I take care of things. Whatever you do, just don’t listen to anything I say. Thank you.”

 

Annabel just nods, “Okay.”

 

Cat walks back over to the counter, “We’ll take that pop-up book too.”

 

“You know, the world isn’t driven by discounts. I’ve been in business forever. I started helping my mother when I was six, and I used to watch her. She wasn’t just selling books. She was helping people become whatever they were going to be. When you read a book as a child, it becomes part of your identity in a way that no other reading in your life does. And I have gotten carried away.”

 

Cat nods, “Yeah. Yeah, you have. You’ve made me feel...Enchanting. Your mother was enchanting.”

 

Kara smiles at that, “Yes, she was.”

 

Winn interrupts, “Um. How will you be paying for this?”

 

“Cash.”

 

Kara looks at her with curiosity, “How did you know that?”

 

Cat points to a picture hanging behind Kara, “From the photograph. That you in the photograph? What are you doing?”

 

Kara smiles to Cat and back at the picture of her with her mother, “Twirling. My mother and I used to twirl. Anyway, she left the store to me, and I’ll leave it to my daughter.”

 

“How old is your daughter?”

 

“What? Oh, I don’t have a daughter, I’m not married, but someday. So the big, bad Grant Books can just go to hell.”

 

Cat nods and pays for the books, “Hey, we ready to go guys?”

 

Annabel and Matt run over to him, Annabel waves goodbye to Kara, “Bye, Kara!”

 

“Goodbye, Annabel. Goodbye, Matt.”

 

“Bye!”

 

Cat leads the kids out of the store door and smiles back at Kara before they exit and Kara smiles and just watches them walk away.

  
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara realizes that Cat is the Cat Grant the one whose business is putting her out of business.

Grant Books was open and people were filing into the big store while pastries and coffee were available as they entered. Cat was there with her mother and Lois to see how everyone was enjoying the newest book store on the block.

 

“No protests, no demonstrations. The neighborhood loves us.”

 

Lois at her side piped up, “They’re wondering where we’ve been all these years...how they did it without us. It’s a hit!”

 

Cat’s mother spoke up, “How’s the children’s department going?

 

“We don’t know, school hasn’t started yet but there’s the little children’s book store on the corner, The Shop Around The Corner.”

 

Cat’s mother scoffed, “Oh yes we’re going to crush it.”

 

And inside Cat began to feel terrible for this whole thing, that little shop was going to have to close and that beautiful girl was going to have to let her mother’s shop go. And Cat felt nothing but guilt for that girl and her little shop around the corner.

  


Across the street Kara found herself having the most difficult time trying to untangle Christmas lights and Siobhan cutting up paper snowflakes for decorating the store.

 

“You know they’ve only been open six days. And we did $1200 less than the same week last year.”

 

Ever optimistic Kara piped up, “That could be a fluke right?”

 

“Or not.”

 

Kara sighed, “Their store is new, it’s a novelty. It’ll all shake out. Meanwhile, I’m putting up more twinkle lights.”

 

Siobhan paused, “What if we have to fold? I’ll never find another part-time job. Then I won’t be able to pay my rent, and I’ll have to move. To Brooklyn!”

 

Winn pipes up from the background, “Ah, the joy of rent control. Six rooms, $650 a month.”

 

“We know. You’ve told us a million times. I can’t believe you’re bringing this up at a time like this. It’s like those people who brag because they’re tall.”

 

Kara still distracted with the lights assures them, “Guys, we’re not going to fold.”

Winn sighs and walks out the front door, “You know what you guys are cold, I’m going to go to the nut shop where it’s fun.”

 

“Winn! Winn hey!”

 

Kara follows after him, Siobhan in tow holding the trail of the christmas lights, spotting one of her children’s book authors peering into the front window, “Miranda, hey!”

 

The woman of average height with brown hair and blue eyes walks into the store, “Kara, are you surviving?”

 

“We’re so excited about your new book. When should we schedule a signing?”

 

“It’s being published in January. Will you be in business in January? I’m so worried.”

 

“We’re doing great. Aren’t we?”

 

Siobhan nods, “We’re great!”

 

“Oh thank goodness! You can count on me for anything. Support, rallies, picket lines. We can get the _Times_ to write something. Or that nut from the Observer.”

 

Kara squints at that, “What nut at the Observer?”

 

As Miranda begins the leave the store she pauses to fill Kara in, “James something-or-other. The one who’s in love with his typewriter. This is just the sort of thing that would outrage him!”

 

Kara looks at the closed shop door in disbelief as Siobhan tries not to laugh behind her back.

 

Later that night on their way to a dinner party Kara explains it all to James, “A nut? She thinks I’m a nut?”

 

“That’s not the point, she thinks my store is in trouble. Why would she say that? There’s enough business for us all.”

 

James nods, “Yes, there is. No question. We are fine. You’re more than fine.  You’re absolutely fine.”

 

“We are fine.”

 

And as James agrees the front door to the party opens and they’re greeted by an older shorter woman happy to see them, “Hi, how are you?”

 

Kara and James both look at each other and saying in unison, “Fine.”

 

And they’re led into the house by the woman, “Vince will be so happy to see you.”

 

As Kara and James are led into the hot spot of the party unbeknownst to her is Cat Grant across the room with her girlfriend Alice talking up a group of people. Or rather Alive is talking up a group of people while Cat pretends to be interested. Cat happens to glance in the direction of Kara who is listening to James speak and Cat sets her sights on Kara. Alice hands Cat her cup and asks her to grab her a refill while she continues to blabber on to her friends and Cat rolls her eyes and walks off but Cat pauses and looks behind a pillar back at Kara. Walking up to the hired drink mixer for the evening Cat requests a new drink. Kara follows behind her and requests a white wine.

 

Cat tries to keep herself turned away from Kara but it’s too late, Kara’s spotted her.”

 

Kara smiles, “Well, hello there.”

 

“Oh, oh, hi!”

 

“Do you remember me from the bookstore?”

 

Cat nods, “Of course I remember you, yes.”

 

“How’s your aunt?”

 

“She’s doing very well thanks.”

 

The bartender hands Cat her drink, “Well, I better go deliver this. I have a very thirsty date she’s like a camel.”

 

“Cat right? Cat isn’t it?”

 

Before Cat walks off she turns and smiles at Kara, “And you are Kara.”

 

And Kara looks slightly off put at her quick exit and sighs to herself, “Kara Danvers,” her wine glass in hand she walks off to be met by James friend.

 

“I can’t believe you were talking to Cat Grant.”

 

“Cat Grant? As in…”

 

“As in she’s going to take over everything,” the man shakes his head and walks away leaving behind a stunned Kara.

Kara had no idea she was talking to _the_ Cat Grant, the Cat Grant running Grant Books who was putting her shop through hell. Kara finds Cat putting food on a plate, “Your last name is Grant?”

 

“G-R-A-N-T.”

 

“I didn’t realize, I didn’t know. You were spying on me weren’t you?”

 

Cat laughs, “Why would I spy on you?”

 

Kara gulps, “Because, because I am your competition which you know or you wouldn’t have put up that sign: ‘Just around the corner.’”

 

“The store entrance is around the corner. There’s no other way to say it. It’s not the name of the store. It’s where it is. And you do not own the phrase ‘around the corner’. The reason I came into your store that day was because I was spending the day with Annabel and Matt. I was buying them presents. I’m the type of woman who likes to buy her way into the hearts of children who are her relatives. There was only one place to find a children’s book in the neighborhood. That won’t always be the case. And it was yours. And it is a charming little bookstore. You probably sell, what, $350,000 worth of books in a year?”

 

“How did you know that?”

 

“I’m in the book business.”

 

Kara shakes her head before she walks to the other side of the table to fill up her own plate of food, “ _I_ am in the book business.”

 

Cat smiles and walks after her, “I see. And we are the Price Club. Only instead of a 10-gallon vat of olive oil for 3.99 that won’t even fit under your kitchen cabinet, we sell cheap books. Me, a spy? Absolutely. I have in my possession the secret printout of the sales figures of a bookstore so inconsequential, yet full of its own virtue that I had to rush over for fear it will put me out of business.”

 

Kara looks at her with hurt and disgust clearly written on her face, James rushes to her side, “Oh hey, James Olsen.”

 

“Cat Grant.”

 

“The inventor of the superstore. Of course. The enemy of the mid-list novel. The destroyer of City Books. Tell me something, really. How do you sleep at night?”

 

But before Cat can answer her girlfriend shows up with a new drink in her hand and answers the question, “I use a wonderful over-the-counter drug: Ultra-dorm,” Kara and James look at her in shock, “Don’t take the whole thing, just half. You’ll wake up without even the tiniest hangover. You’re James Olsen, aren’t you?”

 

“Yes. Leaving.”

 

“Your last piece in the Observer about Anthony Powell was brilliant. Brilliant, yes. I’m Alice Walker,” she extends her hand and shakes James’ hand. Kara and Cat stand there avoiding each other as their significant others talk.

 

“Cat this man is the greatest living expert on Julius and Ethel Rosenberg.”

 

“You really liked my piece? I’m really flattered.”

 

Alice and James get lost in conversation while Cat and Kara awkwardly stand there, Kara with a sarcastic look on her face and Cat wishing the moment was over. Cat manages somehow to drag Alice away and Kara drags James out the front door. And later that night with Alice passed out in bed and Cat unable to sleep she goes to her computer and starts up another email.

 

_Do you ever feel you’ve become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora’s box of all the secret, hateful parts -- your arrogance, your spite, your condescension -- has sprung open? Someone provokes you, and instead of smiling and moving on, you zing them? ‘Hello, it’s Miss. Nasty.’ I’m sure you have no idea what I’m talking about. -NY152_

 

_No, I know what you mean, and I’m completely jealous. What happens to me when I’m provoked is that I get tongue-tied. My mind goes blank. Then I spend all night tossing and turning trying to figure out what I should’ve said. What should I have said, for example, to the bottom-dweller who recently belittled my existence? Nothing. Nothing even now. Even now, days later, I can’t figure it out. -Shopgirl_

 

_Wouldn’t it be wonderful if I could pass all my zingers to you? Then I’d never behave badly and you could behave badly all the time. And we’d both be happy. On the other hand, I must warn you: When you finally have the pleasure of saying the thing you mean to say at the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows. Do you think we should meet? -NY152_

 

Kara stares at the screen, “Meet? Oh my gosh,” she can’t answer that right now so she closes her computer screen and pushes it to the back of her mind.

 

Over the next few days Cat and Kara try to avoid each other, Cat sees her at the local coffee shop where she grabs her coffee and newspaper and tries to hide her face so she can slip out the door undetected by Kara. And Kara who's buying flowers from the local florist who spots Cat walking down the sidewalk and she tries to hide her face with a bouquet of flowers. And in the supermarket Kara ducks down and tries to go in the opposite direction that Cat is in. The sooner she gets her stuff the sooner she can stop breathing the same air as one Cat Grant.

Kara somehow manages to maneuver her way around the store without having to meet face to face with Cat. It’s not until she’s in line at the check that she has to unfortunately put up with a smug Cat Grant. Kara was so preoccupied with not having to deal with Cat that she didn’t realize she got into the cash only line, the cashier finishes ringing up her items and Kara just wants to get out of there.

 

“Seventy-two twenty-seven,” says the eager cashier as she sees Kara trying to hand her a credit card she frowns, “This is a cash only line.”

 

Kara panics, “What?”

 

“This is cash only.”

 

“Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry, all I have is a credit card. I’m sorry. Is that okay?”

 

The impatient man behind her in line pipes up, “No, that is not okay. There’s a sign.”

 

And Kara see’s a line of angry people waiting behind her in line, “I’m sorry. I’m so very sorry. I never do this, but I’m asking you to make an exception.”

 

Cat sees the commotion after paying for her own groceries and pops up behind Kara, “Hello, do you need some money?”

 

Kara grumbles, “No I don’t need money, thank you very much.”

 

The cashier is growing impatient and asks for Kara to get in another line. Cat takes a minute to look at the cashier's name badge, “Hi, Rose, that’s a great name Rose,” she puts her hand on a credit card machine at the counter in front of her, “This is a credit card machine. Happy Thanksgiving. I know you can cut us a break and do that much on the holidays,” the cashier smiles and Cat smiles back as the cashier takes Kara’s credit card, “Rose really is a great name.”

 

Cat looks to Kara, “Well, it looks like you’re fine now.”

 

“Fine,” Kara grumbles and snatches her credit card back as Cat walks away with a smirk on her face leaving Kara wishing the world would just swallow her up till tomorrow.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara begins to lose faith in herself saving her store, she asks NY152 a.k.a. Cat for help.

Cat and Kara spend the holidays with their family and friends and while Kara decorates a tree for Christmas in her little book shop she gets sadder with each person that walks by holding a bag from Grant Books.

 

_“It’s coming on Christmas. They’re cutting down trees. Do you know that Joni Mitchell song? I wish I had a river I could skate away on. Such a sad song. And not really about Christmas at all. But I was thinking about it tonight as I was decorating my Christmas tree. Unwrapping funky ornaments made of popsicle sticks...and missing my mother so much i almost couldn’t breathe. I always miss my mother at Christmas. But somehow it is worse this year since I need some advice from her. I need her to make me some cocoa...and tell me that everything that’s going badly in my life will sort itself out.” ~Shopgirl_

 

_“What kind of advice do you need? Can I help?” ~NY152_

 

_“Can you help? I wish you could help. I wish…” ~Shopgirl_

 

_“I can give you advice. I’m great at advice.” ~NY152_

 

_“If you could help.” ~Shopgirl_

 

_“Is is about love?” ~NY152_

 

_“No, my business is in trouble.” ~Shopgirl_

 

_“I’m a brilliant businesswoman. It’s what I do best. What’s your business?” ~NY152_

 

_“No specifics. Remember?” ~Shopgirl_

 

_“Well, minus specifics, it’s hard to help except to say...go to the mattresses. It’s from The Godfather. It means you have to go to war. You’re at war. It’s not personal, it’s business. Recite that to yourself every time you feel you’re losing your nerve. I know you worry about being brave. Don’t. This is your chance. Fight! Fight to the death.” ~NY152_

 

Kara reads over that last part and before she can repeat it to herself James comes up, she quickly shuts her laptop as James flops on the bed. Kara sits up straight, “Do you think it would be a conflict of interest if you wrote about the store?”

 

“No.”

 

“So you’ll write about it?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Oh, James, thank you so much!!!”

 

A day or two later after James has written his article for Kara’s little shop around the corner she finds the shop swarming with customers. Fans of the little shop old signs and chant outside Grant Books telling them to go away. And fight Kara does, doing speeches and tv spots to get message out about the little shop around the corner.

 

Cat and Lois see Kara on the tv screen as they’re running on tredmills at the gym, “You know she’s not as nice as she seems on TV. She’s a real pill.”

 

“Probably doesn’t look as beautiful as she does on TV either.”

 

Cat glances at her, “Oh, no, no. She’s beautiful. But she’s a pill.”

 

“You don’t feel bad about sending her ass back to the projects with food stamps?”

 

“It’s not personal, it’s business.”

 

Lois shakes her head, “Yeah, yeah.”

 

“People want to turn her into Joan of Arc….”

 

“And you into Attila the Hun.”

 

“Well, not me but the company yeah.

 

Over the next few days as customers dwindle down and the money is counted and the books are done the money they’ve made doesn’t make a bit of difference for the shop. She thinks about what her mother would’ve done and can’t think of anymore she can do to save her little shop.

 

_“I need help. Do you still want to meet?” ~Shopgirl_

 

Cat smiles at the screen and types her reply.

 

_“I would love to meet you. Where? When?” ~NY152_

  



	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat finally finds out who 'Shopgirl' is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's taken me so long to write, I've just lost my muse and can't seem to write anymore.

 

It’s night time, it’s cold, and Cat and Lois are walking down the street bundled in scarves and jackets. Cat told Lois right away about ‘Shopgirl’ wanting to meet her and her agreeing to their meeting.

 

“So she’s carrying a copy of the book with a flower in it? Cat, I don’t really think this is a good idea, what if she’s some weirdo?”

 

Cat sighed and rolled her eyes at Lois, “I’m just going to say hello and have a cup of coffee and then I’m going to go, simple as that, Cat sighs again, “Why do I even feel compelled to meet her, why?”

 

“Cat relax, it’ll be fine.”

 

They walk up to the cafe she’s meant to meet ‘Shopgirl’ at it’s lit up with Christmas lights outside and Cat freezes, nervous, “Okay, this is it...Lois, this woman is the most adorable creature I’ve ever had contact with, if she ends up looking as adorable as she sounds I’d be crazy not to marry her.”

 

Lois pats her on the shoulder, “Good luck, Cat.”

 

But Cat doesn’t move she just smiles at Lois, “Can you go look for me?”

 

With a look of disbelief Lois just rolls her eyes, “You’re pathetic Cat but alright.”

 

“Thank you, Lois!”

 

The brunette heads up to the window and looks around for a woman holding a book with a rose in it, “Hmm, I can’t see her someones blocking her...wait okay now I see her and….,” Lois’ eyes go wide, “Um...well, she’s very pretty but...she kind of looks like that Kara Danvers woman.”

 

“Kara Danvers from that little book shop? Who cares about her?”

 

“Well, if you don’t like Kara Danvers then you’re definitely not going to like this woman.”

 

“Why not?”

 

Lois almost doesn’t want to tell her because she knows how disappointed Cat will be, “Because it is Kara Danvers.”

 

Wide eyed Cat rushes to the window and looks in and sure enough there is Kara Danvers, hair back in a ponytail, glasses, and one of those cardigans she always seems to be wearing. And there’s the book with the rose in it on the table in front of her, she’s looking around waiting for her.

 

“So what are you going to do?”

 

Cat sticks her hands in her pockets and gathers her pride, “Nothing.”

 

“What do you mean nothing, you mean you’re going to just let her wait there all night?”

 

“Yes, that’s exactly what I’m going to do. Good night Lois, I’ll see you in the morning,” hands still in the pockets Cat walks away without another look back leaving Lois standing there in disbelief.

 

Meanwhile Kara’s still sitting inside staring at the window and looking at her watch waiting for NY152 to show up. After Cat walks to the corner she peers back to make sure Lois has left and when the coast is clear she turns around and heads back to the coffee shop and goes in. Trying not to pay any attention to Kara being there she goes up to order a drink. Kara sees her and she quickly acts like she’s busy reading the book she brought with her.

 

After ordering her coffee Cat acts like she just spotted Kara and walks up to her, “Kara Danvers, well this is a coincidence. Do you mind if I sit down?”

 

Kara almost reaches for the chair to stop her from pulling it out, “Yes, yes, I mind. I’m expecting someone actually.”

 

Cat looks over at the book in her hand, “Huh, Pride and Prejudice?”

 

“Would you mind?”

 

“I bet you read the book every year, I bet you love that Mr. Darcy, I bet you hope that he and what’s her face get together even though you’ve probably read the book a million times,” Cat pulls the chair out and sits with a smirk on her face.

 

“No no, you’re not staying.”

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll just stay until your friend gets here,” Cat looks at her watch, “Geez, is he late?”

 

Kara scoffs and pulls her book to her chest, “She actually, not that it’s any of your business. And ‘what's her face’ is actually Elizabeth Bennett, one of the most complex characters ever written, not that you would know that.”

 

“Actually, I’ve read it.”

 

Setting the book back on the table Kara glares at her, “Well, good for you.”

 

Cat takes a sip of her coffee, “You’d discover a lot of things if you knew me.”

 

“If I really knew you I know what I would find, that instead of a brain it’d be a cash register and instead of a heart I’d find the bottom line,” Kara looks shocked at what she just said.

 

“What is it?”

 

Kara seems pleased with herself, “Well, I think I’ve had a breakthrough and it's all thanks to you. For once in my life when I’m confronted with a horrible person I knew exactly what to say and actually said it.”

 

Cat looks at her cup of coffee and pauses before she responds to that, “Well, you have a gift for it, it was like a mixture of poetry and meanness. Don’t get me wrong I’m paying you a compliment.”

 

Reaching to lift the book off the table it’s quickly snatched from Cat’s grasp leaving the rose behind on the table which Cat raises an eyebrow at and picks up the red rose, “Ah, a red rose tucked into the pages of your book, reminds me of something from some mushy romance novel.”

 

Kara holds her hand out for the rose, “Give it to me. Everything is a joke to you isn’t it?” And when Cat doesn’t relent Kara sits back defeated, “Please leave, please.”

 

Cat stares at her for a minute and sets the rose down and then stands and goes to the table behind Kara and sits in the chair to her back. Kara pulls out her compact to check her make up and goes to blot her lipstick and Cat turns around causing Kara to snap the compat shut.

 

“You know what that handkerchief reminds me of? The first day I met you…”

 

“The first day you lied to me.”

 

“I did not.”

 

“Did to.”

 

Cat sighs and picks her stuff back up and goes back to the chair across from Kara, “I think you’ve gotten a lot of things wrong about me. Are you going to have such a sharp tongue with this person you’re meeting tonight?”

 

“No because the woman that’s coming here tonight doesn’t have a single mean bone in her body, she’s funny and kind and has a great sense of humor.”

 

Looking around before bringing her attention back to Kara she takes one more sip of her coffee, “But she’s not here.”

 

Kara holds her chin high, “If she’s not here then she must have a good reason because she doesn’t have a cruel bone in her body. I don’t expect you don’t know anything about a person like that. You’re just a suit.”

 

Cat tries to not make her smile droop and just stares at Kara, “Well, that’s my cue, have a good night Miss Danvers.”

 

Kara watches as Cat stands, puts her coat on and takes her cup of coffee with her and leaves. Kara feels defeated even though she said exactly what she wanted to say without holding back. She continues to wait until they’re about to close and snatches up her book and rose and leaves, as she’s walking down the street she sadly tosses the rose into a trashcan. When she reaches her apartment complex she decides to take the stairs instead of the elevator, maybe all those flights of stairs will help her forget she got stood up tonight.

 

When she finally reaches her apartment she tosses her purse on the couch and goes over to her computer screen and logs on to check her mail. Her inbox saying ‘NO MAIL’ and Kara slumps in defeat.So she just goes to bed not even bothering to undress or pull the covers down, she just covers herself with the blanket folded at the end of the bed and turns the light off.

 

Meanwhile across town Alice is rattling on about something that happened at work that day while Cat puts her coat away and doesn’t even bother to listen to a word she’s saying. She also feel’s defeated in her own way but doesn’t understand why. The hurtful words from Kara Danvers mouth, no ‘Shopgirl’, hurt her more than she thought they would.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kara can't accept that she was stood up. And Cat feel's terrible about it.

Kara walks up to her little book store a waiting Siobhan sits on a bench at her store front and Siobhan gives her a look of curiosity, “So what happened?”

 

Kara sighs and takes out her keys to unlock the stores door, “She never came.” 

 

“She stood you up?”

 

Kara doesn’t answer her, she just pushes the door open and they file inside, flipping the lights on and setting her purse down she thinks for a minute, “I think something terrible happened, maybe something unexpected, which made it impossible for her…”

 

Winn walks in, “What happened?”

 

Kara just pouts, “She didn’t make it.”

 

“So she stood you up.”

 

“What could have happened? Maybe she did show up and took one look at me and left.”

 

Siobhan pats her on the shoulder, “That’s not possible.”

 

“Or maybe a subway accident?”

 

Siobhan nods, “Absolutely.”

 

Winn just looks at them in disbelief at this exchange of pure denial going on between the two of them.

 

“Or she’s in the hospital with no way of getting in touch with me,” Kara stops and stares at the disbelieving Winn, “What?”

 

He hands over the newspaper in his hand, it reads ‘COPS NAB ROOFTOP THIEF’, Kara just sighs, “What are you trying to tell me?”

 

Winn nods to the newspaper, “It could be. She was arrested a few blocks away from the book store too.”

 

Siobhan grabs the newspaper, “Is there a picture?”

 

Sure enough there is a picture of a brunette woman in a hoodie and they all stare at it, Siobhan and Winn resigned to the fact that this was probably the woman.

 

Siobhan tosses the newspaper on the counter, “Well that explains it.”

Winn takes the newspaper and rolls it up, “She was in jail.”

 

Siobhan adds in, “And there was a phone---”

 

“--and she only had one phone call and she called her lawyer.”

 

“You’re so lucky Kara, you could’ve been robbed or even worse killed.”

 

Kara just stares at them dumbfounded, “Are you two crazy? She couldn’t possibly be the rooftop robber.”

 

Siobhan just rolls her eyes, “Remember when you thought James might be the Unabomber?”

 

“This is different.”

 

“How long did you sit there alone?”

 

“Not very long, but then Cat Grant came in.”

 

“Cat Grant!”

 

“I don’t want to talk about it, let’s get to work!”

 

Later that night Kara sits in front of her laptop and thinks about what to write to NY152 and if she’ll even reply:

 

_ I’ve been thinking about you. I went to meet you last night and you weren’t there. I wish I knew why, it made me feel so foolish. And as I was waiting this woman showed up, a woman who has made my professional life a living hell. But then something amazing happened, for once in my life I was able to say exactly what I wanted to say when I wanted to say it. And just as you said I felt terrible about it afterwards. I was cruel and I’m never cruel.  _

 

_ And although I can barely imagine that what I said actually mattered to this woman-- because I’m just some small insignificant tiny book shop owner-- but what if it did? _

 

_ No matter what she’s done to me, that’s no excuse for the way I acted.  Anyway, you’re a dear friend to me and I so wanted to talk to you. I hope that you have a good reason for not being there. But if for some reason we never connect again I just wanted to let you know how much it has meant to me that you were there for me. _

 

_ -Shopgirl _

 

Across town Cat is reading this email, then she closes the browser and walks away to the kitchen. She grabs a glass of wine and walks back passed her laptop, she turns to head towards her bedroom but then stops and walks back to sit in front of her laptop. 

She restarts the browser, logs back into her emails and begins a reply:

 

_ I was out of the country. _

 

She deletes it.

 

_ I was in a meeting with no phone. _

 

She deletes the no phone part.

 

_ I was in a meeting which I couldn’t get out of. The power went out and I was trapped on the 20th floor and my phone was dead too. _

 

She just stares at the screen and deletes the whole thing.

 

“Fuck.”

 

She begins again:

 

_ Dear friend, I can’t explain to you what happened last night but I beg you to forgive me from the bottom of my heart for what happened. I feel terrible that you were left in a situation that caused you additional pain. But I’m sure that what was said last night was most likely provoked and even deserved. And everyone says things they regret when they’re stressed or upset. You were expecting to meet someone you trusted and instead were met with the enemy. The fault is mine. Someday I’ll explain everything. Meanwhile, I’m still here. Talk to me. _

 

_ -NY152 _

 

She hits send and hopes she can fix this.

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And suddenly everything is so clear.

 

Kara and Siobhan meet up at Eve’s apartment for a little discussion on the future of their little bookstore.

 

“So did she ever mention anything about trying to meet up again?”

 

“No, but I guess we’ll just be like those old timey could have beens where we write letters to each other for the rest of our lives.”

 

Once they reach Eve’s apartment they take the elevator up and are welcomed in with the faint smell of lavender and cookies baking.

 

As Eve sets a cup of tea in front of Kara she puts a hand on her shoulder with care, “So what have you decided Kara?”

 

“I-I’ve decided I’m going to close the shop. Although I kind of feel like I’m a failure for doing so. It feels like I’m quitting. It feels like….Mom….”

 

Eve wraps Kara in a hug to reassure her, “Keeping the store open isn’t going to keep your mom alive although sometimes I think we all think it does. It’s a brave decision.”

 

“Thank you Eve.”

 

Siobhan reaches across the table and squeezes Kara’s free hand to show her support in her decision.

 

Once their tears are shed and cookies are eaten and tea is drank Kara and Siobhan say their goodbyes and part ways.

 

Later that night Kara attempts to have a date with James for once, the guy she’s supposed to be dating but seems to be the most distant from.

 

They’re sitting in a movie theater watching the pre show ads and Kara and James have been going over some small talk when things take a random turn.

 

James shovels a hand full of popcorn in his mouth as he watches the dancing popcorn on the screen, “I could never date someone who didn’t take politics as seriously as I do.”

 

The guy in front of them turns around with a glare, “Do you mind?”

 

“A hot dog is singing, you need quiet while a hot dog is singing?”

 

Kara rolls her eyes, “I have something I need to say….I didn’t vote.”

 

James nearly chokes on his popcorn, “What!?”

 

“Yeah, in the last mayoral election, I went to get a manicure and forgot to vote.”

 

“Since when do you get manicures?”

 

“So I suppose you could never be with a woman who gets manicures.”

 

Sighing James takes another bite of popcorn, “Never mind, forget it, I forgive you.”

 

Kara scoffs, “You forgive me,” she stands and leaves the theater leaving behind a surprised James.

 

The movie forgotten James tries to catch up with Kara as she takes the stairs to exit the building, “Hey, what's going on?”

 

They start to walk uptown and Kara feels like crying as the cold night air stings her face and all the emotions she’s been holding in want to burst out of her.

 

James stuffs his hands in his pockets and keeps pace at her side, “I know it’s been a big week for you, closing your moms shop and all.”

 

“That’s not it James, it’s just….”

 

“I know, that was terrible of me.”

 

Kara looks at him confused, “What was?”

 

“To jump all over you when I’m the one who’s really….Oh, god, I don’t know how to say this.”

 

“What is it?”

 

“Come on I’ll tell you over coffee.”

 

So they go to the nearest coffee shop, order their coffees and sit at a window seat as they sip their coffee and wait for James to gather himself.

 

“You’re a wonderful person, Kara.”

 

“So are you, James.”

 

“And I’m honored that you want to be with me because I know you wouldn’t really be with someone unless they were truly worthy.”

“I feel exactly the same way.”

 

James looks at her with a pained look on his face, “Please don’t say that, it just makes it worse.”

 

“What? You don’t love me?”

 

James shakes his head no.

 

“I don’t love you either.”

 

“You don’t love me?”

 

Kara just shakes her head no.

 

James laughs, “But we’re so right for each other.”

 

“I know! It's the woman you had the interview with on television isn’t it?”

 

James nods his head yes, “I mean nothings happened yet.”

 

“I think she’s a republican.”

 

“I can’t help myself! So what about you, is there someone else?”

 

Kara sighs and just smiles at him, “No, no, but there is the dream of someone else.”

 

Later that night James leaves with a bag of his things and goes home, not hard feelings between the two. Still good friends with a mutual understanding that they didn’t love each other back. And Kara can’t help but think of NY152.

 

The next morning The Shop Around the Corner is bustling with customers has Kara is desperately trying to sell everything in the store before they close. One customer comes up to her and gives her a hug, “You know I came here every Saturday when I was a little girl and I remember when your mom gave me  _ Anne of Green Gables _ , she told me to read it with a box of kleenex. She’s looking down on you right now.”

 

“I’m sure she is.”

 

After a long day of trying to sell things Kara locks up for the night and she finds herself at Grant Books, she has to go in a see what it is she’s losing her little shop too. The bookstore is full of people, drinking coffee, reading books, and talking to each other with glee. Kara takes a flight of stairs to the second floor where are the childrens books are and the many happy faces of children reading books and having fun makes Kara’s heart flutter.

Finding a chair at a children's table Kara takes a seat and almost wants to cry, at least she knows that the future generations of kids will have a big selection of books to read from. Cat Grant spots her and watches her from a distance as Kara overhears a woman asking one of the workers for help.

 

“Do you have the shoe books?”

 

They guy looks at her confused, “Shoe books? Whos the author?”

 

“I don’t know. My friend said my daughter should read the shoe books and here I am.”

 

Kara pipes in, “Noel Streatfeild, wrote  _ Ballet Shoes _ and  _ Skating Shoes _ and  _ Theater Shoes _ and  _ Dancing Shoes _ . I’d start with  _ Ballet Shoes _ first, it’s my favorite although  _ Skating Shoes _ is wonderful too but it’s out of print.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

Kara wipes a few stray tears from her eyes and leaves the store to head home, Cat watching her with sad eyes as she leaves the store.

 

On Cat’s ride home with Alice she listens to her bring up Kara Danvers of all people, “Kara Danvers. I swear its like her name was in the air, Cat. Everyone was talking about her today, Kara Danvers and her situation. And I was thinking that she’d make a great children’s book editor.”

 

“What makes you think that?”

 

“Well, she knows everything and she has flawless taste, she’s famous for it. The salesmen swear by her, if she likes a book, it sells.”

 

Cat looks at her finally understanding where this is going, “So you’re going to offer her a job?”

 

“Yeah, well I mean what else has she got to do?”

 

“What you mean now that she’s destitute?”

 

“Yep, thanks to you.”

 

They pay the taxi driver and head into their apartment building, elegant and fit for a Grant.

 

“You know I don’t see her working for you. Cause she lacks the killer instinct, she’s never fired anybody, look at that little shop of hers. Look at all those people at her shop, they’ve been there forever, until recently when they lost their jobs.”

 

“Thanks to you. Hold the elevator please!”

 

The elevator clerk holds the door, “Miss Eden, Miss Grant.”

 

Stepping onto the elevator Cat smiles at him, “Charlie.”

 

“You know I love how you’ve forgotten that you’ve had anything to do with her current situation. It’s so insensitive, it reminds me of someone. Who does it remind me of? Oh, me!”

 

On that note the elevator suddenly stalls and Cat raises an eyebrow at the elevator clerk, “What’s going on?”

 

“We could be stuck, I hope this thing doesn’t plummet to the bottom,” Charlie says as he starts pressing all the buttons.

 

Alice looks at Cat scared, “Can it do that?”

 

“No it can’t,” Cat reaches for the emergency phone and waits for someone to pick up, “Hello, this is Cat Grant and our elevator is stuck I need someone to call 911. The fire department, yes, thank you,” Cat hangs up the phone calmly and waits.

 

An hour passes and they’re all sitting on the elevator floor, Charlie breaks the silence, “If I ever get out of here I’m asking Daisy to marry me, I love her, I don’t know what's been stopping me from asking her.”

 

Alice scoffs, “If I ever get out of here I’m having my eyes lasered.”

 

Cat chimes in, “If I ever get out of here…”

 

But she’s cut off by Alice, “Where are my tic-tacs….what?”

 

Cat just looks at her with a look of disbelief on her face, a second later the elevator comes to life. After spending an hour stuck in that elevator Cat feel’s like her eyes have been opened to everything around her. She grabs her stuff and Ally and goes to her boat house, she leaves Kara an email.

 

_ I got home tonight and got in an elevator to go to my apartment. An hour later I got out of the elevator and me and Ally moved out. Suddenly everything had become clear. It’s a long story. Full of the personal details we avoid so carefully. Let me just say there was a man sitting in the elevator with me who knew exactly what he wanted. And I found myself wishing...I was as lucky as he. _

_ -NY152 _

Kara responds back:

 

_ People are always telling you that change is a good thing. But all they’re really trying to say is that something you didn’t want to happen at all….has happened. My store is closing this week. I own a store. Did I ever tell you that? It’s a lovely store. And in a week it's going to be something really depressing. Like a baby gap. Soon it will be just a memory. In fact someone, some foolish person, will probably think it’s a tribute to this city. The way it keeps changing on you, or the way you can never count on it, or….something. I know, because that’s the sort of thing I’m always saying. But the truth is, I’m heartbroken. I feel as though a part of me has died, and my mother has died all over again. And no one….can ever make it right. _

 

_ -Shopgirl _


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cat comes to see a sick Kara.

Cat’s out walking Ally back to their boathouse when she stops to see a limo parked by the dock. She stops and sighs the moment she sees her mother get out of the car and the trunk pop with her bags inside.

 

“What happened?”

 

“Yeah….”

 

“Well, mother you did pretty well. At least you didn’t marry him. Welcome aboard. It lasted a while.”

 

Her mother shrugs in agreement, “Yeah.”

 

Cat puts Ally on the boat and then goes back out to help her mother with her bags before shooing off the limo driver.

 

When the sun has gone down and they’ve gotten themselves situated Cat makes them some drinks while she listens to her mother ramble on.

 

“I stayed on this boat after your father. Then Bill the carpenter.”

 

“The one you hired to build my swing set.”

 

“Really? How ironic. Then there was Michael the real estate agent. Then there was Albert the gynecologist.”

 

“Who liked more than just your vagina.”

 

“Just like Spencer.”

 

“Spencer ran off with someone?”

 

“Yeah, with Bill.”

 

“Bill the carpenter?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“Wow, that’s really ironic mother.”

 

“That’s true. Who better than us?”

 

Cat hands her mother her drink and sits on the couch across from her, “Mother and daughter, at last.”

 

Katherine takes a sip of her drink and leans back, “Who did you break up with again?”

 

“Alice. You met her.”

 

“Hmm. Now is this beautiful or what? Of course I’ll be living out of a suitcase for three weeks. Then there will be the inevitable legal hassle, more of your inheritance down the drain.”

 

“Don’t worry about it mother.”

 

“Oh, no I won’t. I just have to meet someone new that’s all. That’s the easy part.”

 

Cat rolls her eyes, “Oh, right, just a snap to find the one single person in the world who fills your heart with joy.”

 

Katherine laughs at that, “Don’t be ridiculous. Have I ever been with anybody who fits that description? Have you?”

 

And Cat wonders if she ever has been and it clicks in her that she needs to act now and that’s exactly what she does the following day. She gets Kara Danvers’ address from one of her now ex-employees and buys a bouquet of daisies and heads to her apartment. Cat presses the buzzer to Cat’s apartment and waits for her to respond.

 

Kara answers sounding congested, “Hello? Who is it?”

 

“It’s Cat Grant.”

 

“What are you doing here?”

 

“Can I please come up?”

 

Kara sniffles, “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea I have a terrible cold.”

 

Cat can hear her sneeze through the intercom and notices someone leaving the building and sneaks her way in and up the stairs to Kara’s apartment and knocks on the door scaring Kara.

 

“Kara?”

 

Kara panics at the state her apartment is in and rushes around to throw used tissues away and to put dirty cups in the sink, she smoothes out her striped pajamas along the way, “Just a minute!”

As soon as she’s somewhat presentable she opens the front door, “Hello, what are you doing here?”

 

“Hello,” Cat takes a step into her apartment and looks around to see if anyone else is there hearing talking in the background, “Is somebody here?”

 

“That’s just the Home Shopping Network.”

 

“Oh, you going to buy any of those porcelain dolls?”

 

“I was thinking about it. Hey, you put me out of business. I hope you didn’t come here to gloat.”

 

“Uh, yes, I did. And no I didn’t come to gloat.”

 

“To offer me a job?”

 

“I would never--”

 

Kara stands with her hands on her hips, “Because I’ve got plans, I have plenty of offers. You know I got offered a job by…”

 

“By my former uh….”

 

“Well, yeah, actually….oh your former?”

 

Cat sighs, “We broke up.”

 

“Oh, well that’s too bad, you two were so perfect for each other,” Kara gasps and puts a hand over her mouth, “Oh! I don’t mean to say things like that. No matter what you’ve done to me, there’s no excuse for my saying anything like that. But every time I see you…”

 

“Things like that just fly out of your mouth.”

 

“Yes!”

 

Cat holds up the bouquet of flowers, “I brought you flowers.”

 

Kara looks at them and stomps her foot that how dare she do something nice, “Ohhh, thank you,” Kara waits a beat and goes to open the front door and points Cat out of it.

 

Cat smirks and turns in the opposite direction towards her kitchen, “How about I just put these in some water? And hey you’re sick, you should sit down.”

 

Kara looks at her in disbelief but relents and shuts the door and goes to sit at the dining room table and blows her nose.

 

“I need a vase.”

 

“Above the refrigerator.”

 

Cat spots it and grabs it off the refrigerator, “Ah, there it is, wonderful. Winn says hello, by the way. He’s the one who told me you were sick.”

 

Kara thumps her head into her arms, “How is Winn?”

 

“Great, he’s revolutionizing the place. You can’t work in his department unless you have a Ph. D in children’s literature.”

 

Cat finishes putting the flower in the vase and takes them over to the table to place in front of Kara. Kara just smiles and admires the flowers, “I love daisies.”

 

“I know, you told me.”

 

But Kara is so hopped up on medicine that she hadn’t really paid attention to what he just said because she’s so happy to see the flowers, “Don’t you think daisies are the friendliest flower?”

 

“I do.”

 

“When did you break up?”

 

“A couple of weeks ago.”

 

“Everyone is breaking up. You. Me. This other person I know broke up with someone in an elevator. Or after it, or just outside it or...It got stuck.”

 

Cat just rushes into her kitchen to make some tea for Kara and her while Kara mumbles on.

 

“When I saw you at the coffee place I was waiting for her, and I was…”

 

“Charming.”

 

Kara scoffs, “I was not charming.”

 

“You looked charming. Tea?”

 

“Yes,” Kara grabs the bouquet of flowers and rises from her seat, “I was upset and horrible.”

She places the flowers on the coffee table in front of the couch and sits down with her box of tissues.

 

“Honey?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“I was the horrible one.”

 

“Well, that’s true. But I have no excuse.”

 

Cat brings over a steaming cup of tea for Kara and places it in front of her on the coffee table, “Oh, I see what you’re saying. That’s interesting. Whereas I am a horrible person therefore I have no choice but to be horrible. That’s what you’re saying. But that’s all right. I put you out of business. So you’re entitled to hate me.”

 

“I don’t hate you.”

 

Cat takes a sip of her own tea, “But you won’t forgive me. Just like Elizabeth.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Elizabeth Bennet in _Pride and Prejudice_. She was too proud.”

 

“Huh, what? I thought you hated _Pride and Prejudice_.”

 

“Or was it she was too prejudiced and Mr. Darcy was too proud? I for...Well, I can’t remember,” and for a moment they just stare at each other, “It wasn’t personal.”

 

Kara just shakes her head at that, “What is that supposed to mean? I’m so sick of that. All that means is that it wasn’t personal to you. But it was personal to me. It’s personal to a lot of people. And what is wrong with being personal anyway?”

 

“Nothing.”

 

“Whatever else anything is, it ought to begin by being personal...My head is starting to get fuzzy…” Kara grabs the vase of daisies again and starts to walk past her but stops, “Uh, why did you stop by again? I forget.”

 

Cat looks up at her from her seat, “I wanted to be your friend.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“I knew it wasn’t possible. What can I say? Sometimes a woman wants the impossible….Can I ask you a question?”

 

Kara coughs and heads to her bedroom, “What?”

 

Cat stands and follows after her, “What happened with that woman at the cafe?”

 

Kara sets the vase of flowers on the floor next to her bed and then stretches out onto her bed, “Nothing.”

 

“But you’re crazy about her.”

 

“Yes, I am.”

 

“Then why won’t you run off with her, what are you waiting for?”

 

Kara just looks at her with slight worry on her face, “I don’t actually know her,” and then she face plants into her pillow.

 

“Really?”

 

“I, uh, I only know her through the uh...you’re not going to believe this.”

 

“Let me guess, through the internet?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Cat smiles and sits on the edge of her bed, “You’ve got mail.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Cat just nods her head as she looks at Kara, “Those are very powerful words.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Cat stands and pulls the covers up and over Kara, “Well, I’m very happy for her. Although could I make a suggestion?”

 

“What?”

 

“I think you should meet her. No, no, no, no wait, wait. Why would you want to meet someone you’re crazy about?”

 

“Hey, I hardly think I need to take advice from a person who…”

 

But Cat cuts her off with a hand to her lips, “I can see I bring out the worst in you. But let me help you not to say something you’re just going to torture yourself about for years to come,” and Cat can’t take her eyes off Kara’s lips so she takes her hand away and sincerely says to Kara, “I hope you feel better soon. It’d be a shame to miss New York in the spring.”

 

And Kara just stares at her wide eyed like the way Cat said that seemed so familiar to her, she manages to find the words in her to respond, “Thank you for the daisies.”

 

Cat plucks one of the daisies out of the vase and hands it to Kara which causes her to smile.

 

“Well, you take care.”

 

“I will.”

 

Cat stands and says, “Goodbye.”

 

“Goodbye.”

 

Kara hears the click of the front door and just shakes her head confused about what just happened and suddenly how familiar Cat Grant seems to her.

 

Later whens she’s better she’ll write an email to NY152:

 

_I’ve been thinking about this...and I think we should meet._

_-Shopgirl_

 

And Cat responds:

 

_We should meet. But I’m in the middle of a project that needs...tweaking._

 

_-NY152_

  
  
  
  
  



	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And they meet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading this, I hope you've enjoyed it and I highly recommend you go watch the movie that this is inspired from. The final scene of this has this playing: [Harry Nilsson - Over the Rainbow](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g3we2XCSHPw)

Kara’s sitting at a window seat in a coffee shop on the second page of a brand new book she’s started to read. A light tap on the window from outside startles her from her reading as she sees Cat Grant waving at her with a bright smile. Kara looks shocked but giddy at the same time and closes her book as Cat mimes she’ll come in.

 

Cat orders herself a latte too and joins Kara at the window and Kara tells her about her most recent email response from her online friend.

 

“Some tweaking?” A project that needed,” Cat puts up air quotes, “tweaking.”

 

Kara giggles and takes a sip of her coffee, “That’s what she said.”

 

“Well, it sounds to me like she’s married with three kids.”

 

“That’s a terrible thing to say, she can’t be married. How do you know?”

 

“Have you asked if she’s married?”

 

“No, I’m not going to--- No.”

 

And Cat just looks at her with a sparkle in her eye as she changes the subject and they continue the afternoon in a relaxed banter. Nothing like their angry banter they’ve had in the past.

 

Later that night Kara will write:

 

_ I know this is a little late to be asking but...are you married? _

_ -Shopgirl _

  
  


_ Am I married? What kind of question is that? How can you ask me that? Don’t you know me at all? Wait, I get it, your friends are saying that the reason we haven’t met is I’m married. Am I right? _

_ -NY152 _

  
  


A few days later Cat and Kara meet up for lunch and Kara doesn’t pay it any attention really that they’ve started to spend so much time together. They’re just getting to know each other and becoming friends and the bitterness and sadness Kara felt for losing her shop has ebbed away. She’s really enjoying these meetups she has with Cat Grant. And although they may be turning into friends she’s starting to feel something a bit more towards the older woman.

 

“So she didn’t answer the question.”

 

“Yes, she did.”

 

“She did not.”

 

“She did. She did, she nailed me. She knew exactly what I was after which is, by the way, exactly like her.”

 

Cat laughs, “She did not answer your question did she?”

 

Kara rolls her eyes as she thinks about it, “No.”

 

Cat takes a bite of the pie in front of her and ponders it, “Maybe she’s fat. She’s fat.”

 

“I don’t care about that.”

 

“You don’t care that she’s so fat she has to be removed from her house by a crane. You don’t care.”

 

Kara sighs, “That is very unlikely and completely ridiculous.”

 

“Okay, what's her handle?”

 

“Uh….”

 

“I’m not going to write to her if that’s what you’re thinking.”

 

“Alright, it’s N-Y-1-5-2.”

 

“N-Y-1-5-2. 152. She’s 152 years old. She had 152 moles removed.”

 

Kara joins in, “The number of people who think she looks like Grace Kelly.”

 

“152 people who thinks she looks like a Helen Grace chocolate bar.”

 

That causes Kara to laugh and in return make Cat smile at the reaction she’s received.

 

“Why’d I even tell you?”

 

“152 stitches from her nose job. 152 pairs of shoes that she owns.”

 

Kara stops for a minute and thinks of something genuine, “It’s her address…..no, she wouldn’t do anything that prosaic.”

 

Cat coughs a bit on the water she’s just taken a sip of because yes, yes it is her address and she’s not about to ever ever say that.

 

“The only thing I really care about is that aside from the married thing and the jail thing is the boat thing.”

 

“What boat thing?”

 

“I could never be with someone who had a boat.”

 

Cat laughs and gestures to herself, “I have a boat.”

 

“Oh.”

 

“Which clinches it. We’ll never be together. I could never be with someone who likes Joni Mitchell.  _ It’s clouds illusions I recall I really don’t know clouds at all. _ What does that mean? Is she a pilot? Is she taking flying lessons? It must be a metaphor, but I don’t know what it is.”

 

But Kara acts like she has no idea what she’s talking about, like Joni Mitchell isn’t one of her favorite singers after all. 

 

“So how's your book coming?”

 

“Well, there’s this children's book editor I know from the store. She’s excited to read it when I’m finished. Who would ever have thought that I could write? If I hadn’t all this time…. The truth is she was the one who started me thinking about writing.”

 

“Uh huh, Ms. 152 Felony Indictments.”

 

“Ms. 152 Insights Into My Soul.”

 

Cat smirks and takes another bite of her pie, “Oh, well, there’s no competing with that.”

 

As they finish their lunch Kara smiles, “I keep on bumping into you.”

 

“Would you like to bump into me on Saturday around lunchtime?”

 

Kara smiles and nods, “Uh-huh.”

 

“Good.”

 

Cat pays for lunch and they part ways for the day.

 

_ How about meeting Saturday? Four o’clock? There’s a place in Riverside Park at 91st Street where the path curves and there’s a garden. Alice and I will be waiting.” _

 

_ -NY152 _

 

On Saturday Cat and Kara meet up for some of the best hot dogs in the city, eating and talking along the street.

 

“Today?”

 

“Yeah, later today. In Riverside Park.”

 

“That would mean she’s a Westsider.”

 

“Maybe I’ve seen her and I don’t even know it.”

 

Cat smirks, “You could have seen her everyday and not know it. She could be anyone, she could be that woman,” Cat points at a random woman walking past them.

 

“Oh, cut it out.”

 

“The timing here is everything. She’s waited until you’re primed. Until you are absolutely convinced that there’s no other woman that you could possibly love.”

 

“Yes.”

 

“You know sometimes, I wonder.”

 

“What?”

 

“If I hadn’t been Grant Books...and you hadn’t been The Shop Around the Corner...and you and I had just met.”

 

“I know.”

 

“Yeah. I’d have asked for your number. I wouldn’t have been able to wait 24 hours before calling you and saying: How about some coffee or dinner or a movie?”

 

Kara looks at her surprised and her heart skips a beat and she shakes her head, “Cat…”

 

“You and I would never have been at war. The only thing we’d fight about would be which video to rent on a Saturday night.”

 

“Who fights about that?”

 

“Some people. Not us.”

 

Kara nods and looks away, “We would never.”

 

“If only.”

 

Kara crosses her arms over her chest and swallows, “I gotta go.”

 

Cat rests a hand on Kara’s shoulder stopping her, “Let me ask you something. How can you forgive this woman for standing you up...and not forgive me for this tiny little thing...of putting you out of business? How I wish you would.”

 

Kara wants to cry and takes a shaky breath, “I really have to go.”

 

“You don’t want to be late.”

 

Kara nods and walks away from Cat, pausing only once to look back at her to see her watching her walk away. Kara runs home and changes into a white dress with a cardigan thrown over. As she’s walking up to the meeting place she sees the sign that reads “The 91st Street Garden” and marvels at all the different flowers and the many shades of colors that they are. She’s nervous and excited as she stands there looking around for whoever her NY152 could possibly be.

 

She sighs and waits as she watches each person come around the corner and then she hears a dog bark and a familiar voice yelling after the dog. 

 

“Alice!”

 

Kara sees Cat come around the corner and at first Kara thinks she’s just followed her there to make sure that who she’s meeting isn’t a creep and Kara smiles at that. But then it dawns on her, that Cat’s really NY152, she has been this whole time. And she wants to cry out joy as she watches Cat come closer. They meet in front of the garden sign and Kara finally cries letting out of a huff of air, shaking her head in disbelief. 

 

Cat reaches into her pocket and pulls out a handkerchief and lightly dabs at Kara’s tears, “Don’t cry, Shopgirl. Don’t cry.”

 

Kara smiles and sniffles searching Cat’s face, “I wanted it to be you. I wanted it to be you so badly.”

 

Cat steps closer and they meet for a kiss that they’ve both been wanting and Kara wraps her arms around Cat’s neck and pulls her in deeper. Alice barking and jumping on them both, Cat trying to calm her with a wave of her hand as she continues to kiss Kara.

 

And she knows that NY152 is never going to get tired of kissing Shopgirl...ever.

  
  


The End

 

  
  



End file.
